Even though the Ravens just defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-17, on Sunday, this is Pittsburgh Steelers week, and coach John Harbaugh was naturally peppered with questions about Sunday's opponent. His good nature, however, didn't last. At the beginning of his weekly session with the media, Harbaugh answered those questions evenly. On the topic of the sniping that has occurred between players on both sides in the past, Harbaugh said, "I think our guys understand that the game is played on Sunday. And Pittsburgh understands that, too. I don't think too much is going to be said. We've played these guys too much, they've played us too much, what can we say? Everybody knows what kind of game it's going to be, and we'll have to play the game at one o'clock on Sunday. If something gets said, it gets said. Our focus is on Sunday, and we're channeling our emotions toward the football game." On the topic of playing in Pittsburgh before a towel-waving crowd, Harbaugh said, "We've been there before - just like we've been to Cincinnati, we've been to Cleveland. It was new for us in the New Meadowlands [Stadium]. Obviously, we hadn't been there before. But Pittsburgh's been to our place. So has Cleveland, so has Cincinnati. So these are environments we are familiar with. We know exactly what it's going to be like. We know it's going to be tough, it's going to be loud, but it's exciting. That's what you get into the NFL for as a coach or a player. We can't wait to be a part of it." But later on, Harbaugh brusquely dismissed a question whether the Ravens might be catching the 3-0 Steelers at a good time. "We don't care," he said. "It doesn't make any difference to us. Ok, you asked me last summer what I thought about the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger. Does anybody remember? None of you wrote it. What did I say? You don't even remember, do you? I said they're going to be a very good football team, no matter who is playing quarterback. And that's turned out to be true, right? So listen, this is a darned good football team. They have a great defense, they have a great running game, they have dangerous wide receivers, their special teams are much improved. So we're not surprised that they're 3-0, but we don't care. We're going to play the game." Other notes: *Harbaugh said the run defense's unusually poor showing against the Browns' Peyton Hillis was due to a combination of factors, including Cleveland's offensive line's blocking, the defense's missed assignments and Hillis' abilities in the backfield. But Harbaugh wasn't in the mood to discuss that only twice has the defense allowed 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games since Ray Lewis manned the middle of that unit. "We don't dwell on that stuff," he said. "Stats, I guess you can write an article about stats if you want. We're going to try and win the next game." *Although the Browns are just one of five teams still searching for their first win, Harbaugh said the Ravens never overlooked their opponent. "I don't think our guys took Cleveland lightly," he said. "You guys all did, but we didn't. We watched the tape. We know what kind of team they are. Like I said, Cleveland's going to win a lot of games. ? It's the NFL. The Chiefs are 3-0. Look at what they've done. You've got to be ready for everybody in this league. They can all play." *Harbaugh said he did not have an update on defensive end Cory Redding, who left Sunday's game in the third quarter with a concussion. If Redding is unavailable against the Steelers, that could open the door for rookie nose tackle Terrence Cody - who has been recovering from arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee - to be activated for the first time this season. "Well, possibly," Harbaugh said. "Obviously, Terrence is getting healthier. He practiced well last week. We'll see how it goes. We want to get him up if we can." *In noting the boisterous crowds at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Harbaugh said fans at M&T Bank Stadium can be just as loud. As evidence, he referred to the fact that Cleveland called three timeouts Sunday because the offense couldn't hear the play called. "They couldn't communicate," Harbaugh said. "And there were other times when, defensively, they struggled getting communication and getting people on and off the field. The place was loud." Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs backed up his coach, saying, "In my eight years, I've never heard that stadium get that loud. Even I was going to call timeout because I couldn't get our play." *On a day when a few teams lost because of missed field goals by their kickers (the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders come to mind), Harbaugh said he was pleased that Billy Cundiff rebounded from a 51-yard field goal that hit the left upright to convert a 49-yarder in the fourth quarter and put all three second-half kickoffs in the end zone, resulting in touchbacks. "With what was at stake, that says a lot about his character, his mental toughness," Harbaugh said of Cundiff. "It's pretty good when you've got a kicker with that mindset."
Story posted 2010.09.27 at 05:15 PM EDT